God's hand behind the scenes

Chapter 539 The Dust Settles
Jackson did what he said, and in the next few days, Chang Wei could clearly see that his restless heart had settled down, and the videotape he watched changed from the Celtics to the team's opponent in the next game.In fact, many rookie coaches will have such a problem. They only saw that one important game, but ignored the relatively less important games before, but you must know that any season consists of 82 games or even more. Consists of many games, one game may not matter.

With Jackson leading by example, the Bobcats players also refocused their attention on the next game, and they lived up to expectations and played a wave of winning streak again, not being caught up by the Celtics before the decisive battle began.

Although as a higher-ranked team, they also suffered tremendous pressure, but after nearly two seasons of honing, such pressure is no longer a big problem for them.What's more, leading is leading. If you lose the game, you can still pray that your opponent loses in the last few games, but if you are behind, it will be hopeless.

Now the top eight positions in the East and West are basically determined, and the only suspense is the Bobcats and Celtics.In fact, many experts are dumbfounded by the performance of the Bobcats this season. In their opinion, the Bobcats made the playoffs last season because of good luck. It is a victory to reach the playoffs this year, but what they did not expect is that , The Bobcats are still firmly occupying the top four positions in the Eastern Conference at the closing stage, and now they have to compete with the Celtics for the third ranking in the Eastern Conference.

What kind of team are the Celtics?During the offseason last year, Angie spent a lot of money in exchange for Ray Allen and Garnett, and together with Pierce formed the Big Three. Although these three All-Star players have entered the twilight of their careers, their power after joining forces is still amazing. .Coupled with Rondo, Perkins and other players, they became championship candidates before the start of the season.

However, they are still working hard for the third position in the Eastern Conference. The competitor is still a team like the Bobcats that has just been established for less than two years.The performance of the Celtics this season is still very good, but now it seems that the Bobcats are not bad. I really don't know if the Celtics are not as strong as they look, or the Bobcats are not so weak.

In the eyes of everyone's anticipation, the game that determines the third place in the Eastern Conference finally officially started at the TD North Shore Garden Arena in Boston.This is indeed not good news for the Bobcats. The Celtics' home game is quite terrifying. Their home record ranks among the top five in the league this season, while the Bobcats' away record can't even make it to the top five in the Eastern Conference.

But to the astonishment of some fans, it was the Bobcats who took the lead in attacking away.Faced with the Celtics' defense, the Bobcats had no fear. Roy broke through with the ball again and again, completely ignoring Garnett's defense at the basket.Of course, he will not be stupid enough to face the defense for a layup. Whenever he finds that Garnett has helped defend in place, he will give the ball to his teammates on the outside, and Jack, Ariza and even Milicic are receiving the ball. After that, they all showed a good touch.

Naturally, Gasol is not idle. In addition to pulling up to the high position and playing pick-and-rolls with Roy, he also works diligently as a central axis. When Roy finds that there is no chance, he can always find Gasol with a return pass. Saul, the latter can pass the ball to others according to the gap created by Roy, or simply take a shot near the free throw line by himself.

At first the Celtics were able to compete with the Bobcats, but soon the disadvantage of too many veterans was revealed. Except for Rondo, almost no one in the starting five could catch up with the Bobcats, even if they could catch up. It took a lot of energy.In the second half of the first quarter, the Bobcats took advantage of their physical advantages and gradually began to widen the point difference. At the end of this quarter, they led 31 to 25. Most importantly, the Big Three played nearly 10 minutes in this quarter. , which will definitely have an impact on the following games.

Rivers had to let Rondo bring the substitutes to play at the beginning of the second quarter, but only Rondo can compete with the Bobcats' bench lineup, and "Big Baby" Glenn Davis can only be counted as half. indivual.Chandler, who was selected by the Bobcats last year, showed his consistent big heart. He hit three consecutive three-pointers from the bottom corner to help the team continue to widen the point difference.

This made Rivers feel very entangled. After thinking twice, he still had to let the Big Three appear early, otherwise the Celtics would be defeated directly in the rest of the second quarter.Jackson, who held a double-digit lead, was not in a hurry. He was as stable as a mountain on the sidelines. He didn't start until the Celtics narrowed the point difference to 7 points with 12 minutes and 11 seconds left in the second quarter.

However, at this time the Celtics' main force has been consumed a lot, and Jackson's starting at this time is tantamount to taking advantage of the fire.Rivers' face was ugly. The Bobcats' substitutes were brave on both ends of the offense and defense. The players under his command needed to spend more energy to narrow the point difference. At this time, the Bobcats' starting lineup was undoubtedly heavy. blow.

At the end of the first half, the Bobcats led the Celtics 9 to 0 by 59 points with a 47-12 spurt of the main players. This is not a big gap, but it is the Celtics who are behind instead of The Bobcats are a bit unbelievable.

Such a score boosted the morale of the Bobcats team, and launched another wave of offensive at the beginning of the second half.Although the Celtics tried to regain the initiative, the Bobcats did not give them any chance. This young team performed very old and hot. With Roy in charge, they rarely made some low-level mistakes, which also made the Celtics always There was no time for a comeback, and their physical fitness had already turned red.Contrary to them, the Bobcats players seem to be alive and well. In addition to rotating a lot of players, Chang Wei's special emphasis on physical training is also a key factor for them to play the whole game easily.

The point difference between the two sides in the fourth quarter was irreversible, and Rivers had no choice but to let the Big Three rest to prepare for the playoffs.Jackson also replaced the starters. He didn't want the starters to rest, but to let the substitutes play more. After all, in the playoffs, the depth of a team's lineup largely determines the outcome of the series. win or lose.

In the end, the Bobcats easily defeated the Celtics 105 to 95, securing their third place in the Eastern Conference. As long as they make no mistakes in the next game, this position will be theirs at the end of the regular season.

(End of this chapter)